Equipment housing for submarine suspension

ABSTRACT

An equipment housing for submarine suspension from a buoy designed to be dropped vertically into water with the housing mounted therein so that the impact with the water frees the housing to hang below the buoy on a cable at a predetermined depth selected by one of a plurality of cords connecting the housing to respective spaced points on the cable, a selector being provided for initially cutting all but one cord to select said predetermined depth.

Ullitfid States Patent [191 Yapoudjian et a1.

EQUIPMENT HOUSING FOR SUBMARINE SUSPENSION Inventors: Claude Yapoudjian,Chilly-Mazarin;

Max Henelle, Cachan, both of France Compagnie lndustrielle desTelecommunications Cit-Alcatel, Paris, France June 29, 1971 Assignee:

Filed:

Appl. No.: 157,832

Foreign Application Priority Data June 29, 1970 France ..7024008 11.8.CI ..9/8 R, 83/639,114/221 A Int. Cl. ..B63b 21/52 Field of Search ..9/8R; 340/2; 244/138, 151; 102/7,10,l3,l4, 15, 21.2; 114/221 A;

[ 51 Jan. 9, 1973 [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,262,0907/1966 Farmer ..9/8 R 3,275,976 9/1966 Farmer ..9/8 R 3,606,812 9/1971Riordan ..114/221 A Primary Examiner-Milton Buchler AssistantExaminer-Jesus D. Sotelo Att0rneyCraig, Antonelli & Hill [57] ABSTRACTAn equipment housing for submarine suspension from a buoy designed to bedropped vertically into water with the housing mounted therein so thatthe impact with the water frees the housing to hang below the buoy on acable at a predetermined depth selected by one of a plurality of cordsconnecting the housing to respective spaced points on the cable, aselector being provided for initially cutting all but one cord to selectsaid predetermined depth.

10 Claims, 10 Drawing Figures PATENTEDJAN 9 197a SHEEI 1 BF 5 FIG/1INVENTORS CLA DE YAP U DIIAN and MAX HENELLE am flmtwifli H4212ATTORNEYS PATENTEDJAN 9 I973 SHEET 2 [IF 5 FIG.2

iNVENTOR$ CLAUDE YAPOUDIIAN ATTORNEYS PAIENIEDJAH 9 I975 SHEET 3 OF 5FIG.3

INVENTORS CLAUDE YAPOUDS'IAN Qvd MAX HENELLE ATTORNEYS PATENTEDJAH 9l9753,708,812

SHEET l 0F 5 4 I'll INVENTORS CLAUDE YAPOU IIAN a MAx HENELLE BYchap/tow 4 HM ATTORNEYS PATENTEDJAH 9 I975 3,708,812

SHEET 5 BF 5 INVENTORs CLAUDE YAPOUDTIAN a MAX HENELLE cvaia am owafltl9 we AT ORNEY5 EQUIPMENT HOUSING FOR SUBMARINE SUSPENSION The presentinvention concerns an equipment housing for submarine suspension from abuoy designed to be dropped vertically into water so that the impactwith the water frees the housing to hang below the buoy on a cable andat a predetermined depth.

For example, such a housing may be used for suspending a hydrophone froma buoy to pick up underwater accoustic signals, the buoy being droppedinto the ocean from an aircraft. The depth at which a hydrophone is tobe submerged depends on the particular application, and obviously on thedepth of water involved. The depth at which the hydrophone will besuspended must be capable of being set in advance, before the 'buoy isreleased from the aircraft. Generally, the buoy should provide a numberof predetermined depths of submersion, four for example, one of which ischosen before the buoy is dropped.

In accordance with the present invention there is provided an equipmenthousing for submarine suspension from a buoy designed to be droppedvertically into water so that the impact with the water frees thehousing to hang below the buoy on a cable and at a predetermined depth,the housing including a stowage space for the cable, a set of n-cords,each fastened at one end to a respective point on the cable and havingtheir opposite ends attached at equiangularly spaced positions around acircular portion of the housing, a cutter of part-circular outlinesubtending at its center an angle of 360 (n-l )/n, rotatable about thatcenter between n predetermined positions, and mounted for movement inresponse to the impact with the water to cut all the cords save one,whereby the housing may sink to a predetermined depth determined by thepoint of attachment of the uncut cord to the cable.

The invention will now be described in more detail, by way of exampleonly, with reference to the accompanying diagrammatic drawings, inwhich:

FIG. 1 is a transverse section through a buoy designed to be droppedvertically into water;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of an equipment housing of the buoy;

FIG. 3 is an exploded view of part of the equipment housing;

FIGS. 4A, 4B and 4C show successive stages in the release of the housingfrom the buoy on impact with water; and

FIGS. 5A, 5B, 5C and 5D respectively show the housing suspended at fourdifferent depths below the buoy.

Referring to FIG. 1, the buoy is provided with an extendable parachuteelement 1 to reduce the speed at which it drops into the ocean whenreleased from an aircraft. An upper portion 2 of the buoy holds radiotransmission equipment and includes a well 3 in which a transmissionantenna is housed until the buoy contacts the water. A partition 4divides the upper portion 2 of the buoy from a lower portion 5 whichholds various accessory units 6, for example a cylinder of carbondioxide for deploying the antenna, batteries, colored markers and so on,and a centrally located cylindrical equipment housing 7.

The equipment housing 7 includes a hydrophone 8, associated electroniccircuitry 9 and a battery 10. The

housing also includes a stowage space 11 for a cable linking the housingand the buoy and on which the housing hangs below the buoy at apredetermined depth after being released on impact with the water.

The housing 7 is retained in the buoy by an arrangement shownschematically at 12 which will be described in more detail withreference to the remaining figures of the drawings.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view from below of the housing 7 within thelower portion 5 of the buoy. The housing 7 is locked in the buoy bymeans of a set of pins 13 engaging cooperating recesses in the buoy.These pins 13 retract on impact with the water to release the housing 7.

The base of the housing 7 is formed as an annular surface 14, a pointer15 being mounted in a recessl 6. The surface 14 carries markersindicating the four possible depths of immersion of the hydrophone, inthe present example these depths are 20, 150, 250 and 500 meters. Thedepth of immersion is preselected by setting the pointer 15 to therequired depth marker, using an appropriate tool locating in a socket17.

A respective cord J J J and J, is associated with each possible depth ofimmersion. Only cords J J and J, are visible in the figure. Each cord isfastened at one end to a respective point on the hydrophone cable, andtheir opposite ends are attached at equiangularly spaced positionsaround a circular portion of the housing 7, as will now be described inmore detail with reference to FIG. 3.

Above the plane surface 14 at the lower end of the housing 7 are acylindrical wall portion 20 and a frustoconical wall portion 21. Fourequiangularly spaced holes 22 are arranged around the cylindrical wallportion 20 and extend radially of it. Concentrically disposed within thecylindrical wall portion 20 is an inner cylinder 23 with fourequi-angularly spaced holes 24 each aligned with one of the holes 22.Vertically above each hole 24 is a further hole 25 through each of whichpasses one of the cords J to J.,. Each cord is retained inside the innercylinder 23 by a respective knot or suitable fastener 26.

A locking element 30 is disposed inside the inner cylinder 23 forvertical sliding movement. It is of generally cylindrical form having alower circular flange 31 and an upper flange 32 on which are out fourflats 33, arranged at right-angles to one another. Above the flange 32is a part-circular cutter 34 subtending an angle of 270.

The pins shown at 13 in FIG. 2 are indicated 35 in FIG. 3. Each locatesin one pair of aligned holes 22, 24 and is biased towards the center ofthe inner cylinder 23 by a respective spring 36 bearing on a cross-bar37 embedded in the pin. A spiral spring 38 is mounted inside the lockingelement 30, and the inner cylinder 23 is closed by a cap 39.

FIG. 4A is a transverse section through the lower end of the housing andbuoy, showing the disposition of the various elements before the buoy isdropped into the ocean.

The locking element 30 is retained in one of four possible orientationsby the springs 36 pushing the pins 35 against the flats 33. At the sametime, the flats 33 force the pins 35 against the springs 36 so thattheir outermost ends project through the holes 22 to engage incooperating recesses in the lower portion 5 of the buoy. With lockingelement 30 in its lowest or first position, as shown in FIG. 4A, thehousing 7 is held fast within the buoy. The element 30 is held in itsfirst position by the coil spring 38 bearing against the cap 39 of theinner cylinder 23.

Referring to FIG. 4B, on impact with the water the locking element 30 isforced upwardly against the spring 38. It reaches a second positionshown in FIG. 48 at which the flats 33 are raised above the pins 35which are therefore retracted by their respective springs 36. The pinsdisengage the recesses 40 in the buoy, so that the housing 7 is free tofall vertically away from the buoy.

The locking element 30 continues to move upwardly through the secondposition into a third position shown in FIG. 4C at which three of thefour cords J, to J, are cut. The cord which is not cut is that lyingover the gap in the part-circular cutter 34.

Referring briefly back to FIG. 2, setting the pointer to oneof the fourdepth markings is done by rotating the locking element 30 about itsaxis, so rotating the cutter 34 about its center. In each of the fourpossible orientations of the element 30, corresponding respectively tothe four possible depths of immersion, the gap in the cutter 34 liesbelow a respective one of the cords .I, to J,.

The released housing 7 sinks, a length of the hydrophone cable unwindingfrom the space ll as it does so. The cable unwinds until the uncut cordprevents further unwinding. The housing 7 is then suspended at apredetermined depth corresponding to this length of cable, as defined bythe uncut cord.

FIG. 5 shows each of the four possible situations after deployment ofthe antenna, as shown at 42, and release of the housing 7. In FIG. 5A,cord J, is uncut and the housing 7 hangs at a shortest distance L, belowthe buoy 2, suspended on the cable 43. The unreleased part of the cableis indicated at 44, with the cut cords J J and J, attached to it. In thepresent example, the depth of immersion of the housing 7 is meters.

FIG. 5B shows the housing 7 submerged to a depth of 150 meters, J beingthe uncut cord. Cut cords J and J, are attached to the portion of thecable which has not been unwound. Cut cord J, is attached to the unwoundcable portion.

FIGS. 5C and 5D show the housing 7 submerged to depths of respectively250 and 500 meters, the uncut cords being respectively I, and 1,. InFIG. 5C cut cords J, and J, are attached to the deployed cable whileuncut cord J remains attached to that portion of the cable which has notbeen uncoiled. In FIG. 5D the three out cords J,, J and .1 are allattached to the unwound cable.

It will be appreciated that the housing may include more or less thanfour cords, the number of cords in the set being equal to the number ofpredetermined depths required. More generally, the housing will have aset of n-cords each fastened at one end to a respective point on thecable and having their opposite ends attached at equiangularly spacedpositions around the inner cylinder 23. The part-circular cutter willsubtend at its center an angle of 360. (n-l )/n, and will be rotatableabout its center between it predetermined positions.

We claim:

I. An equipment housing for submarine suspension from a buoy designed tobe dropped vertically into water with the housing mounted therein sothat the impact with the water frees the housing to hang below the buoyon a cable at a predetermined depth, comprising a housing elementincluding a stowage space for a cable secured at one end to said buoy, aset of n cords each fastened at one end thereof to respective spacedpoints on the cable and having their opposite ends attached atrespective equiangularly spaced positions around a transverse circularportion of the housing, a cutter of part-circular outline subtending atits center an angle of 360 (n-l)/n mounted on said housing elementadjacent said equiangularly spaced positions so as to be rotatable abouta center between the n positions at which said cords are fastened tosaid housing element and axially movable in response to impact with thewater to cut all the cords save one, whereby the housing may sink to apredetermined depth determined by the point of attachment of the uncutcord to the cable.

2. A housing as claimed in claim 1, in which the cutter is mounted on alocking element arranged in said housing element to move in response tothe impact with the water from a first position at which it holds thehousing locked in the buoy, through a second position at which thehousing is freed, to a third position at which the (n-l cords are cut.

3. A housing as claimed in claim I, in which said housing element isprovided with a set of pins extending radially of the cutter and meansfor resiliently biasing said pins inwards towards a retracted position,the locking element including an annular shoulder which in a firstposition thereof forces the pins against their resilient bias to anextended position for engaging cooperating recesses in the buoy to lockthe housing in the buoy and recesses which after movement of the elementto its second position release the pins which are retracted by theirresilient bias to free the housing.

4. A housing as claimed in claim 3, in which the locking element isresiliently biased towards its first position.

5. A housing as claimed in claim 1 wherein said cords have their endsfastened in equiangularly spaced apertures in a cylindrical portion ofone end of said housing element and said cutter includes a cylindricalcutter portion slideable inside said housing element along the innersurface thereof so as to slide across said spaced apertures duringdisplacement through impact with the water.

6. A housing as claimed in claim I wherein the stowage space for saidcable is provided in one end of said housing element and the other endof said housing element is formed of a pair of concentric annular wallportions interconnected by a transverse bottom wall portion, saidconcentric annular wall portions having radially directed aligned holes,and locking means mounted in said aligned holes for releasably lockingsaid housing to said buoy.

7. A housing as claimed in claim 6 wherein said locking means includesat least one locking pin mounted in a pair of aligned holes so as toprotrude radially outward from the outer wall portion into contact withsaid buoy and spring means for biasing said locking pin radially inward,and a cylindrical locking element slideably mounted inside the innerwall portion and having a shoulder aligned in a first position with thehole in the inner wall portion so as to block movement of said lockingpin in response to said spring means, said locking element also havingat least one recess for permitting inward movement of said locking pinin response to said spring means upon shifting of said locking elementto a second position.

8. A housing as claimed in claim 7 wherein said cutter is mounted onsaid cylindrical locking element and said inner wall portion includesequiangularly spaced apertures into which said cords are inserted andsecured, said recesses in said locking element being dimensioned tolimit movement of said cutter so that all but one of said cords aresevered when said locking element is shifted through impact with thewater.

9. A housing as claimed in claim 6, in which the cutter is mounted on alocking element arranged in said housing element to move in response tothe impact with the water from a first position at which it holds thehousing locked in the buoy, through a second position at which thehousing is freed, to athird position at which the (n-l cords are cut.

10. A housing as claimed in claim Q, wherein said locking means includea set of pins extending radially of the cutter and means for resilientlybiasing said pins inwards towards a retracted position, the lockingelement including an annular shoulder which in a first position thereofforces the pins against their resilient bias to an extended position forengaging cooperating recesses in the buoy to lock the housing in thebuoy and recesses which after movement of the element to its secondposition release the pins which are retracted by their resilient bias tofree the housing.

1. An equipment housing for submarine suspension from a buoy designed tobe dropped vertically into water with the housing mounted therein sothat the impact with the water frees the housing to hang below the buoyon a cable at a predetermined depth, comprising a housing elementincluding a stowage space for a cable secured at one end to said buoy, aset of n cords each fastened at one end thereof to respective spacedpoints on the cable and having their opposite ends attached atrespective equiangularly spaced positions around a transverse circularportion of the housing, a cutter of part-circular outline subtending atits center an angle of 360* (n- 1)/n mounted on said housing elementadjacent said equiangularly spaced positions so as to be rotatable abouta center between the n positions at which said cords are fasteneD tosaid housing element and axially movable in response to impact with thewater to cut all the cords save one, whereby the housing may sink to apredetermined depth determined by the point of attachment of the uncutcord to the cable.
 2. A housing as claimed in claim 1, in which thecutter is mounted on a locking element arranged in said housing elementto move in response to the impact with the water from a first positionat which it holds the housing locked in the buoy, through a secondposition at which the housing is freed, to a third position at which the(n- 1) cords are cut.
 3. A housing as claimed in claim 1, in which saidhousing element is provided with a set of pins extending radially of thecutter and means for resiliently biasing said pins inwards towards aretracted position, the locking element including an annular shoulderwhich in a first position thereof forces the pins against theirresilient bias to an extended position for engaging cooperating recessesin the buoy to lock the housing in the buoy and recesses which aftermovement of the element to its second position release the pins whichare retracted by their resilient bias to free the housing.
 4. A housingas claimed in claim 3, in which the locking element is resilientlybiased towards its first position.
 5. A housing as claimed in claim 1wherein said cords have their ends fastened in equiangularly spacedapertures in a cylindrical portion of one end of said housing elementand said cutter includes a cylindrical cutter portion slideable insidesaid housing element along the inner surface thereof so as to slideacross said spaced apertures during displacement through impact with thewater.
 6. A housing as claimed in claim 1 wherein the stowage space forsaid cable is provided in one end of said housing element and the otherend of said housing element is formed of a pair of concentric annularwall portions interconnected by a transverse bottom wall portion, saidconcentric annular wall portions having radially directed aligned holes,and locking means mounted in said aligned holes for releasably lockingsaid housing to said buoy.
 7. A housing as claimed in claim 6 whereinsaid locking means includes at least one locking pin mounted in a pairof aligned holes so as to protrude radially outward from the outer wallportion into contact with said buoy and spring means for biasing saidlocking pin radially inward, and a cylindrical locking element slideablymounted inside the inner wall portion and having a shoulder aligned in afirst position with the hole in the inner wall portion so as to blockmovement of said locking pin in response to said spring means, saidlocking element also having at least one recess for permitting inwardmovement of said locking pin in response to said spring means uponshifting of said locking element to a second position.
 8. A housing asclaimed in claim 7 wherein said cutter is mounted on said cylindricallocking element and said inner wall portion includes equiangularlyspaced apertures into which said cords are inserted and secured, saidrecesses in said locking element being dimensioned to limit movement ofsaid cutter so that all but one of said cords are severed when saidlocking element is shifted through impact with the water.
 9. A housingas claimed in claim 6, in which the cutter is mounted on a lockingelement arranged in said housing element to move in response to theimpact with the water from a first position at which it holds thehousing locked in the buoy, through a second position at which thehousing is freed, to a third position at which the (n- 1) cords are cut.10. A housing as claimed in claim 9, wherein said locking means includea set of pins extending radially of the cutter and means for resilientlybiasing said pins inwards towards a retracted position, the lockingelement including an annular shoulder which in a first position thereofforces the pins against their resilient bias to an extended position Forengaging cooperating recesses in the buoy to lock the housing in thebuoy and recesses which after movement of the element to its secondposition release the pins which are retracted by their resilient bias tofree the housing.